Police Union Files Grievance Against Township

Dominic Bertoldi, 48, said he worked as a police officer in West Orange for more than 20 years and never had any issues with his health coverage, but now retired, he said filing medical claims has been "nothing but a nightmare. It's been nothing but problems."
 
And the police officer's union — Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association Local 25 — said Bertoldi isn't the only one.
 
The union has filed a grievance on behalf of its retired members, claiming the township made changes in the retirees' health care coverage that violated the terms of their contract.
 
"We grieve the current health benefits that the township had adopted in the last 18 months, due to the lack of being equal or better from our prior health benefits, for retired members," said Christopher Jacksic, West Orange police officer and PBA president.
 
The two sides are scheduled to meet with an arbitrator to settle the grievance, which was filed last June. Arbitration was scheduled to take place this Thursday in Newark but has since been delayed pending additional paperwork.
 
The township opted out of the New Jersey State Health Benefits Plan for dental and prescription coverage more than a year ago, with the consent of the union.
 
Since then, retired members said they've run up against nothing but complications with their dental and prescription coverage and have been urging the township to return to the state benefits plan to no avail.
 
"To me, it's not fair to the older retirees, to the 80-year-old retirees who don't know any better. It's just not right," Bertoldi said.
 
He said out-of-state retirees are not getting their bills paid, paying elevated prices for certain drugs, being denied claims and paying more for their dental plan.
 
"All we want to do is to be left alone, and all we want is what we're entitled to," Bertoldi said.
 
In November 2011, the township contracted Express Scripts Inc. as its prescription insurance provider and Delta Dental as its dental insurance provider to replace its previous provider, Horizon.
 
During a , Chief Financial Officer for the township, John Gross, explained the changes, citing them as a cost-saving measure.
 
Gross said he expected to see increases for the previous policy providers for dental and prescription coverage. After soliciting competitive bids Gross said the township was saving almost two percent by contracting Delta Dental. He said Express Scripts was also the better option because it provided more flexibility.
 
Township officials told Patch they could not comment on the grievance in place because it's a pending legal matter.